Displacement pumps of this general type are usually called diaphragm pumps. Such a pump has a pump housing which contains a pump chamber (pump cavity) of variable volume. The pump chamber is defined by walls including at least one elastically deformable wall portion, for example in the form of a flexible diaphragm, which by means of a suitable type of actuator can be provided with an oscillating movement. On the suction side of the pump, there is a fluid inlet to the pump chamber, and, on its pressure side, a fluid outlet from the pump chamber. The fluid flow through the inlet and outlet is controlled by check valves. These check valves can be of many different types. For example, a check valve can be used where the flow-preventing element is a ball or a hinged flap. The check valves are so arranged in the fluid inlet and fluid outlet that the check valve at the inlet is open and the check valve at the outlet is closed during the intake phase (when the volume of the pump chamber is increasing), while the inlet check valve is closed and the outlet check valve is open during the pumping phase (when the volume of the pump chamber is decreasing). The movement and change in shape of the flexible diaphragm causes the volume of the pump chamber to vary, and thus creates the displacement effect, which, thanks to the check valves, is translated into a net flow from the fluid inlet to the fluid outlet, and thus a pulsating flow at the pressure side of the pump (the outlet side).
Pumps with check valves passively controlled by the flow direction and pressure of the pump fluid have, however, certain characteristics which can be disadvantageous, especially in certain applications or fields of use for such pumps.
One example of such disadvantages is the excessively great drop in pressure over the check valves and the risk of wear and fatigue damage to the moving, flow-preventing elements of the valves, which can result in reduced life and reduced reliability of the pump. For pumping, especially sensitive fluids, primarily liquids, there is also the risk that the moving valve elements can damage the fluid or negatively affect its properties.